This invention relates to wipes useful for removing stains from clothing, upholstery or the like. More particularly, it relates to the use of wipes to remove such stains without leaving a ring.
Pre-moistened wipes have been used to clean various hard surfaces. See e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,621. The disclosure of this patent and of all other publications referred to herein are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Such wipes have also been used to clean human skin (e.g. baby wiping products; after meal cleanup products). Such products typically contain water and alcohol to assist in drying the surface being cleaned. Some also contain a surfactant.
However, cleaning spots that are on clothing or upholstery presents a more difficult challenge. When the fabric is immersed in a cleaning solution and entirely wetted, the stain can be mobilized, and the staining material and cleaning solution can then be rinsed away. This is the standard technique used in automated clothes washers. This process can be assisted by pre-treating the stain with a stain remover.
In a number of situations this type of cleaning is impractical for clothing. For example, when traveling one may not have access to an automated washer or dryer, or the time to use them. Moreover, upholstery often cannot easily be removed from furniture for immersion type cleaning.
Another approach is to remove most of the staining material with an absorbent paper towel or the like (e.g. picking off chunks of food). One then applies a cleaning solution to the fabric which causes the stain to migrate into another absorbent towel placed under the fabric. This technique has utility in some cases, but can leave visible staining material behind. In any event, it is generally unsuitable for use with upholstered furniture.
Another approach is to apply a cleaning solution to a stained area of the fabric, and then to rub the solution into the stain in order to mobilize it and disperse it across a larger area of the fabric. The fabric is then allowed to dry. In this techniques much of the staining material stays behind, albeit it is dispersed so that it is much less visible. This approach has been applied to fresh stains using towelettes that are pre-moistened with a cleaning solution. Such a cleaning solution typically has 3.5%-4.0% surfactant, a few percent of volatile solvents such as alcohols and glycol ethers, over 90% water, and a few other ingredients such as fragrances and preservatives.
Unfortunately, this approach can leave a visible ring at the outer periphery of the cleaning solution dispersion on the fabric, even when the main stain has been adequately cleaned. This problem is particularly troubling for stains containing oils (e.g. salad dressing stains).
In unrelated contexts (e.g. window glass cleaners containing ammonia), cleaning solutions have previously been formulated containing very low surfactant levels.
It can thus be seen that there is a need for an improved fabric wipe.